What are the Common Areas of Family Law?

What do you think when you hear the term family law? A number of people think that family law is only about divorce and child custody. However, this is not the case. Family law is an umbrella term that covers different issues. The law deals with a range of issues that affect families.

Most family issues can be handled outside the court, while some are best solved through decisions made in court. Here we will discuss some of the common areas of family law apart from child custody and divorce that are dealt with in the courts in the US.

Division of Property

Division of property after a divorce is one of the common family law issues dealt with in court. An attorney can guide a divorcing couple in calculating the value of their property and ensuring that it is equally divided between the two persons. Through expert help, individuals are able to obtain a favorable court order that provides justice to all concerned parties.

Provision of Child Support

Parents are legally responsible for providing child support until their children reach adulthood. In case of a divorce, both parents have to contribute to the expenses that are incurred in raising the child. The individuals are required to pay a specific amount as child support. Any issues relating to child support come within the purview of family law. Again, an attorney can help in resolving child support issues in court.

Spousal Support

After divorce, one of the partners may petition in the court for the other partner to continue offering financial support. The court usually orders the partner earning a higher income to offer financial support to the other one who is facing financial difficulties. Terms of spousal support vary and depend on the financial situation of both the partners.

Apart from the above there are a number of other issues that come under the umbrella of family law. These include issues related to adoption, guardianship, juvenile delinquencies, emancipation, visitation, and others.

Selecting a professional family law attorney who specializes in these cases is important, as it will help in ensuring a favorable outcome of the case.